3 Ways to Cut the Meat Without Decreasing Nutrition

When you check your receipts, I can almost guarantee that animal products make up the category that requires the largest funding from your food budget. Meat, milk and cheese are staples in most families’ meals, yet coupons are few and far between, and even great sales will rarely net you a pound of beef for mere pennies like you can accomplish on the inside aisles and pharmacy section.

Families with young children in particular need to include protein in their diets, and many meals feel incomplete without meat or cheese involved. How to cut the budget without lowering your family’s health?

1. Use homemade meat stocks.

Nothing is more frugal than making something out of nothing. I can turn virtual garbage into a pot of steaming, nutrient-dense, immunity-boosting homemade chicken stock for about a dollar.

I always buy chicken with bones, and those bones go in the stock pot with a few carrots, celery stalks and onions. (That’s where the dollar comes in, plus stove energy.) After simmering for 4-24 hours, I’ve got gorgeously rich chicken stock that can not only save me over $30 a batch versus buying cans of chicken broth, but it also serves to stretch the protein in meat.

Eating homemade chicken stock with just a little bit of meat allows the body to better assimilate the protein and vitamins in the meat, which means I can get away with using less and not feel like I’m short-changing my family’s health.

2. Cut the meat in half and pair with beans.

Although the protein in beans is not used as easily in the body as animal proteins, as little as 2% meat in a meal helps the body assimilate the vegetable protein in the beans completely. I always use half of the meat called for in chili and bean soups, often freezing the already-cooked other half for a quick spaghetti meal.

I’ve also learned to use a 1:1 ratio of meat to lentils when we have tacos, and once it’s all seasoned and wrapped up, no one knows I’ve fiddled with anything (unless they look closely, but you can’t taste them at all).

3. Try a meatless meal with legumes instead.

In spite of the fact that beans aren’t quite as quality protein as meat, they’re still a very good and nutritious source of protein, iron and fiber. Particularly if you start with bulk dry beans, they’re incredibly frugal.

I make it a point to include a bean-based meatless meal at least once a week in my meal planning, ranging from soups to veggie bean burritos to black bean burgers and even a pasta white sauce that uses blended beans as a base. That one is great for the bean haters of the world who can’t stand the texture of beans, because it tastes like a lovely cheesy Alfredo (see below).

Comments

“Although the protein in beans is not used as easily in the body as animal proteins, as little as 2% meat in a meal helps the body assimilate the vegetable protein in the beans completely.”

Where are you getting that information? I’ve been completely vegetarian for over a decade (almost half my life!) and have never heard that before, so I’m curious to learn more about this statement. thanks for any additional information you might have!

I wonder if this is because animal protein is a complete protein, so it would have a better balance of essential amino acids…although as long as your combining different sources of legumes, grains, & seeds and nuts you should be getting all the essentials anyway (which I’m sure you know, but I know a lot of people may not). I’ve never heard about the 2% thing specifically, but there’s a whole lot I don’t know

As long as one eats a variety of foods, there is no need to worry about “food combining”. All foods have protein, and as long as you are getting your nutrients from high quality foods, there is no reason to worry about not getting enough protein.

My family is vegan, and my son has been for his whole life, and we’ve never been concerned about protein, nor is his doctor. Beans are a perfect dinner! In fact, I would recommend cutting the beef from those lentil tacos to save yourself the sat fat and cholesterol 😉

Jennifer,
Starting with mother’s milk, our diets are naturally high in both saturated fats and cholesterol. I’m not claiming that an adult’s diet should mimic that of an infant’s, but I do think that we shouldn’t be afraid of either saturated fat or cholesterol. I eat an awful lot of it! But to watch my budget (my waistline does fine already), I like to incorporate beans.

For those who fear dried beans (as I used to), I’ve found great success plumping them in my rice cooker on the soup setting – better even than using a crockpot. After the soup cycle is done, I leave them on warm for another hour or two and then freeze in handy quantities. Right now my freezer has black beans, chick peas, pintos and navy beans all soaked and ready to use after a quick thaw.

(BTW, a rice cooker is a great frugal tool if you eat rice. Not only can it help out with the “beans and rice” days we all have, but it can make all kinds of other concoctions, all on a timer and in smaller quantities than a typical slow cooker – I make a chicken, basil, coconut and rice dish that is Super A++ Excellent and it takes about 20 minutes on the “quick steam” setting.)

What a fantastic post! I think things like this are a great way to save money and live a simpler (and most of the time, more healthy) life. We eat alot of beans around here and I add natural peanut butter (fresh ground when I can get it) to alot of my son’s meals to make up for decreasing the amount of meat we eat (on waffles, pancakes, sandwiches and with fruit for snacks). Breakfast for dinner is also a meal that cuts down on meat like chicken and beef (I’ve found that even organic, free range eggs are much cheaper than chicken, beef and pork). We try to do eggs and waffles, veggies omelets or frittatas for dinner at least once a week. Using less meat also makes it more affordable to buy high-quality meats, eggs and milk. Great post that proves you don’t have to skimp on nutrition to save!

How does this save $30 a batch? How large a volume of chicken bones are you using here?
When I make a small chicken carcass into stock, I usually get less than I would buy in a cardboard carton for $2-$3 on sale. If I add $1 worth of ingredients, I’d expect I was saving $2 a batch at most.

Since everyone’s idea of small, medium, and large vary I thought I’d let you know what I do for comparision. I recently roasted 2 chickens (4.25-4.5 lbs each) for dinner. After removing all the meat and skin, I put the carcass and pan juices in a large stockpot and covered with water (which nearly filled the pot). After cooking for 8+ hours I strained the stock. From this I froze 12 cups of stock. Now as far a price comparison, since my chickens are organic I would have paid around $4-$5 per carton (which are about 2 cups each), so $24-$30 total. Granted, I would NEVER pay that much for store-bought stock 😉 It would have to be on sale. I also don’t add veggies or seasonings to my stock. This is because I usually use them to make soups or cook my dry beans in. I feel like I’m saving money and not wasting my veggies if I wait to cook them in the stock with my other soup ingredients. But that’ just my preferrence.

I am also very surprised by your assertion that somehow vegetarian protein is not as good as meat-based protein. I used to hear that years ago, but I thought the science put those ideas to rest a long time ago. Meat is completely unnecessary for humans and there are wonderful vegetarian sources of protein, including whole grains that are not only incredibly inexpensive but also very healthy and delicious.

I agree. I’ve been a vegetarian for most of the past 20 years. I’ve found it to be very healthy and much cheaper for our family than a meat-based diet. We eat meat every once in a while, but only if we go out or eat at someone’s house or something.

I agree with you Aubrey. Based on the research I have done including talking to a nutritionist and reading a number of scientific books and journal articles: you don’t need to ingest a complete protein (all the amino acids at the same time) in order for your body to digest and use the individual amino acids.

Obviously, you DO need to get all the essential amino acids that your body can’t make on it’s own. But, it is not necessary to ingest them all at the same time in order to absorb/use them. And, I’m pretty sure it’s not advantageous as this article claims (although I am willing to be persuaded with evidence!)

So… I’m still not sure why having meat in the meal would increase your
body’s ability to use other protein. I’m wondering whether this 2% meat helping with protein digestion is part of the general myth that it’s necessary or beneficial to consume all the amino acids at once, or if it is a newer finding with some recent scientific evidence to back it up.

I’m mentioning all this not so much because I personally am interested to know the answer (I don’t combine protein or eat meat, and I’m not going to start since I’m very healthy). I am mentioning it because I think it’s important for all of us who eat less meat (or none at all!) to be aware of the most recent and accurate facts about how this affects our nutrition. I would hate for people considering vegetarianism — a very healthy, environmentally responsible, and economical choice — to be dissuaded by the idea that they will be getting protein from an inferior source.

If any readers are considering cutting meat from their family’s diet, please consider looking into this issue more extensively before concluding that meat is nutritionally necessary, or even beneficial, for your family. Many people are vegetarians from birth and are extremely health having never eaten a bite of meat — not even 2% of one meal

I am not a scientist, so I won’t repeat what I have heard or read. I will only state my personal experience, and that is when I eat some meat I feel a lot better. If I go very long without, particularly in the morning, I am very hungry very quickly. In the evening, I will occasionally do meatless meals, but I am ready to eat again by 9 pm. So for me, I would not say that meat is completely unnecessary. And I do eat lentils, bean, whole grains, etc. But a little sausage in my lentil stew makes all the difference.

I work p/t as a healthcare professional, so I’m a big fan of hard science. The reason why some vegetarian sources of protein are considered “less than” vs. meat-based are because they are missing a portion – however small – of amino acids, which you can glean from other foods. Egg whites and soy protein isolate are complete proteins that have a higher PDCAAS score than beef. Chickpeas and soybeans are just under red meat/beef. The logic stands that I don’t actually need meat to live a healthy existence.

Aubrey,
There are certainly many different healthy diets possible. For those who choose to eat meat, it can be a budget buster, so it’s nice to know how to cut down. I am a big science buff, too, but honestly this one is not important enough to me to dig really deeply into it other than citing a source (in a comment above).

Grains can be just as easily vilified as meat, even backed up by good science. In personal experience, my husband, who has Crohn’s Disease, had symptoms return after 7 years without. Even a prescription med wouldn’t touch his chronic diarrhea, but TWO DAYS going grain-free entirely knocked it out 100%, best digestion he’s ever experienced in his life.

So no diet works for everyone – if we ate vegetarian and had lots of grains, my husband wouldn’t do well (and I know my growing baby need egg yolks and butterfat, too). Your family does well without meat, and that’s great. A quick look at cultures around the world demonstrate many diets that keep people healthy, as long as they’re eating whole, real foods.

“A quick look at cultures around the world demonstrate many diets that keep people healthy, as long as they’re eating whole, real foods. ”

I can wholeheartly agree with that statement. My family is mostly vegetarian though we do eat fish, eggs and dairy. It is understandable that people will need different diets based on medical issues and do not wish to pass judgement on what is best for someone else. However, I will state that there are great vegetarian sources of protein. Though beans may not have nearly the protein that a hamburger does, it does contain more fiber increasing digestive health. Quinoa is a high protein grain and a super food for health. Whole wheat couscous also contains protein and fiber. Soy beans and tofu also goos sources of protein. Nuts, in small amounts, especially almonds and walnuts are fantastic. Walnuts contain omega-3 fatty acids and almonds contain calcium. Broccoli even contains protein. For a 31 calorie cup of broccoli, it contains 3 grams. No, not much but pretty good for the calories while also containing fiber vitamin A, vitamin C and iron.

I believe with all this trying to get bargain, we can’t lose sight of what is best for our bodies. Often this is more expensive. I can appreciate your article on how some may work to keep their grocery bill down. And your statement hit it right on the head. As someone else told me,
“We either pay now, or we pay later.” Whole foods, not heavily processed will always be the way to go.

“I am a big science buff, too, but honestly this one is not important enough to me to dig really deeply into it other than citing a source (in a comment above)”

It may not be important to you personally to dig into it, but when writing an article like this that is going to reach a large audience, it’s important that claims are backed up with citations, preferably quotes, that support your statements. Unfortunately, one information source doesn’t make a balanced article.

For people interested in the author’s source, the complete title of the book is “Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats” by Sally Fallon (now Sally Fallon Morrell) and Mary Enig, Ph.D. It was first published in 1995. Fallon Morrell has two degrees in English and Enig is a scientist. They are co-founders of the Weston A. Price foundation.

Unforchanately i am not able to as frugal when it comes to this topic. You are right that meat and milk take up a large portion of the grocery budget and there are rarely coupons. My oldest (3) drinks a lot of milk and even though she gets wic it isn’t enough.

My hubby will not eat meatless meals. We are not big bean eaters. In fact even my children will complain if no meat is served at a meal. I can glady eat a big bowl of pasta and veggies but they must have meat for every meal. So it gets very expensive. Even if you cut the meat portions down it still is costly. We like to have breakfast a lot for dinner and there has to be bacon or sausage. Weekend breakfasts must include that as well.

My husband loves meat, too. When we made the commitment to stay out of debt through law school, we both made sacrifices — and one of the sacrifices he made was being willing to eat a lot less meat so we could keep our grocery bill low. It wasn’t his first choice at all, but he was willing to do it so that we could keep our financial goals. And he will be the first to tell you it was worth it in the long run, though he’s happy to be having a lot more meat and fewer beans these days.

It’s all about priorities. Your family has to determine what the priorities are for your family and then go with that. What works for one family won’t work for others. If you all love meat and you can afford meat, than guiltlessly budget more for meat and find other ways areas to save in.

Not being able to eat less meat or drink less milk and not wanting to are two very different things. I completely understand the frustration of a “meat eating, milk drinking” hubby (mine is the same way!) but if you truly cannot afford the amount of meat/milk your family desires you simply need to tell them that. For some reason we have a hard time saying that meat and milk are an extravagance, but in reality saying you “can’t” do without meat/milk is really about the same as saying you “can’t” do without cable because your family won’t like it.

Misty,
I do have to agree with Missi that wants and needs are different things. That said, if you want to keep your family happy and can afford it without causing serious monetary problems, you just with you could cut the food budget a bit in this area, you can still employ some of the following:
*1/2 lb sausage in an omelet instead of 1-2 pounds as patties
*soups and casseroles that use 2 c. shredded chicken instead of 2-3 pounds chicken breasts as the main centerpiece of the meal (and make the stock with the bones, too!)
*watch the cheese – it’s actually more expensive than meat most of the time if you calculate by the pound!

Don’t think of “meat portions” at all – that shows me the meat is your main dish. Include meat in the meal instead of making it be the focus. Your family will get used to it. 😉 You could totally do the lentil tacos – telling you, cross my heart, you cannot tell it’s not meat. 😉 Katie

I would bet my teenaged son could tell it was lentils in the tacos! Still, I would love that recipe. Could you consider posting it? One of my daughters is vegetarian and I would love to make it for her.

Anon,
It’s as simple as:
1. Cook lentils according to package directions.
2. Eye up the same amount of lentils as meat (I usually use a pound of ground beef and then 3-4 cups or so of cooked lentils).
3. Use taco seasoning as if you have 2 lbs. meat.
Done. Simple!

I do this, too. I have a cottage cheese container that I put all ends of veggies in. The small ends and tops you cut off of celery, carrots, radishes, etc. I’ve also started putting in all kinds of other bits of veggies that get cut off when preparing other dishes. Ends of green beans, the root end of the onion, little dried ends of snap peas, etc. We make soup stock at least every other week, and I always have a container ready to go. In mid-summer when we make soup a bit less, I build up quite a few of these containers, but they all get used up once soup making starts up again.

BTW, homemade soup is an excellent way to stretch your meat budget without feeling meat-deprived. We make soup stock from chicken, beef, ham, turkey and lamb bones. I haven’t tried it, but I understand you can make fish stock from things like shrimp shells. There are many kinds of soup you can make. Recently, I’ve discovered a tortilla soup recipe I love that uses up that 1 extra pork chop – and feeds the whole family!

That’s good that you’re encouraging people to include more beans in their diet! Beans have iron, calcium, protein, fiber, etc. and contribute to good nutrition and weight maintenance. Many cultures choose to use meat more as a garnish, than as a main dish.

Adding in another frugal bean protein tip here for those interested: There are some really great ways to save on tofu. (tofu is soybean curd, for those wondering how it’s a bean)

I’ve found that I can get a case discount through the oriental store.

I’ve also actually found coupons for tofu too. Nasoya is offering a $1 off coupon on their website for taking their “tofu challenge.” I also have gotten Nasoya and Mori Nu coupons through the mail, just by emailing the manufacturer. Recently, I found a lot of 20 Nasoya coupons on Ebay.

Also, grocery stores often mark their tofu up to 50% off just a few days before expiration date. If I can’t use it all by the date, I can always freeze it! Today I got a couple of 14 oz tubs for 79 cents each!

And lastly, you can make your own tofu for just pennies a pound. I’m considering buying a soymilk maker and tofu molds/equipment to do just that. Just a little enthusiastic sharing from the vegetarian mo who seems to be running into all the good deals lately.

I too would like a scientific reference about the “assimilation” of protein from vegetables versus meats as well as about the 2% meat meals statement. I know about the need for pairing two different types of vegetable proteins in order to make a complete protein, such as pairing beans with a corn tortilla or beans and brown rice or brown rice with lentils, etc.

I have a Master of Public Health degree and work with licensed, registered dietitians, nurses, and so forth and I have never heard of such a thing.

For people interested in the author’s source, the complete title of the book is “Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats” by Sally Fallon (now Sally Fallon Morrell) and Mary Enig, Ph.D. It was first published in 1995. Fallon Morrell has two degrees in English and Enig is a scientist. They are co-founders of the Weston A. Price foundation.

MDM,
So sorry I forgot to cite that; I was quoting from one of my own old posts and just didn’t think about it. My source is Nourishing Traditions (Fallon/Enig), and although I don’t trust everything said in that text, this one seems fairly harmless to just “go for it.” 😉 Thanks for asking! Katie

Even though my husband loves meat, he is also willing to sacrifice eating meat-free once or twice a week. Crock pot black beans are my daughter’s favorite meal. When we do have meat, I use it in a supporting role, never as the star. Instead of doing a whole chicken breast for every person, I can easily feed my entire family with one or two chicken breasts (and have leftovers!) by using it in pasta, quesadillas, tacos, or a casserole. Same with beef. I can get 1 lb of beef and serve my family fajitas or philly steak sandwiches instead of serving everyone a whole steak. My husband is happy that he gets meat, but I also get more veggies into my family, and we only use maybe 3 lbs of meat per week, and that includes leftovers for lunch the next day!

I love the idea behind this post but can’t help – as a vegan – to feel insulted as my lifestyle isn’t good enough or providing enough nutrion. This article also needs a fact checker. This statement: “Although the protein in beans is not used as easily in the body as animal proteins, as little as 2% meat in a meal helps the body assimilate the vegetable protein in the beans completely,” this statement: “In spite of the fact that beans aren’t quite as quality protein as meat, they’re still a very good and nutritious source of protein, iron and fiber” (a repeat of the first one – you can see why I feel insulted lol) and this one ” many meals feel incomplete without meat or cheese involved” have no actual grounding in scientific fact or even valid assumptions. There are plenty of other protein sources out there NOT beans that are frugal (something this missed entirely) and those proteins are just as good. Plus anyway, “protein” alone isn’t the only thing to be concerned about it a meal – not the only thing that keeps you full, frugal, or your kids healthy. I love the idea behind this post and I swear I generally love this blog (even though I only seem to comment when “ranting” lol) but this is just so far off base it’s upsetting. Even without going vegetarian or vegan, there are a lot of ways to cut down on the average family cost of animal products like using “cheaper” cuts in different ways, more stir fries and the like. I feel like this post was one giant, poorly informed, un-researched add for an eBook on beans.

I don’t think she meant the “quality” as an insult, it’s just the way proteins are often defined. “High quality” just means a complete protein, and the only foods that are sources of complete protein (without combining other foods) are animal based.

I was a vegan for a few years and have been a vegetarian for most of the past 20 years. When we don’t rely primarily on meat, milk, cheese, etc., as staples, I’ve found that it takes a lot more creativity and time to prepare meals, but we tend to include a wider variety of vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, and fruits in our diet than we would otherwise, so I think it’s actually a very healthy way to eat. I do use some eggs and cheese now, but cheese is too expensive to use a lot of it.

I think that Tania’s post was well-said. I am a life-long vegetarian (parents, siblings are as well), as is my husband. We are planning on raising our soon-to-be-born as a vegetarian as well. I am open to different opinions and paths of life, but when potential facts are stated, I need the scientific research behind them to be presented with an article or two. I’m half-way through my PhD in Environmental Health, and I have never heard of the veggie/meat protein difference. If someone can present journal-published, peer-reviewed research (that is recent), then I am more than happy to update my opinions to remain well-informed. While I don’t think that the author was too insulting, I prefer taking in my information from a topic this heavily debated from well-published resources.

Tania (and A.S.),
Thank you for keeping me honest. Please remember that I’m just a guest blogger over here at MSM, and you don’t have the value of my day-to-day background or reputation for research at my home blog. Typically, I dig into issues quite thoroughly and cite references diligently. The goal of this post, per the mission of MSM to be “encouraging and light”, was simply to be uber-practical for the average eater, not necessarily to vilify meat, beans, vegetarians, or anything. My focus is on beans, just because I only wrote 3 tips!

As far as sources:
*the 2% meat quote was from the cookbook/textbook Nourishing Traditions (Fallon/Enig). I’m away from home and can’t check for academic journal citations within that text.
*your second question was answered quite well by Kristen in her reply. If the information on complete vs. incomplete proteins is outdated, then I’m behind the times. I was aware of what Mollie says about soybeans being complete in and of itself, but because of phytoestrogens (and other reasons) I’m very wary of unfermented soy. I just don’t use it in my home.
*the third point is opinion: “feel incomplete” as in, “my husband and many others feel it’s lacking something.” So. No citations on the opinions. 😉

Tania, I certainly wasn’t trying to attack vegetarians or insult people, or the food they eat, in any way. Meat’s expensive. No doubt about it. In my world, based on the research I’ve done and the facts that resonate with me (mostly that traditional cultures often, but not always, ate animal products throughout history), I choose to eat meat. Budget-wise, I like to find places to cut. If I could have listed “10 Ways to Cut the Meat” you bet stir fries and wraps and casseroles and stew meat (and, oh yes! liver and tongue!) would have made the list.

Thanks for keeping me honest…and I’d love you to visit over at my place to read a little more of my heady research-y stuff, instead of a quickie tip post.

I’ve been following Katie’s blog for over a year and will emphatically agree that she has TONS of “heady research-y stuff”- to the point where I will gloss over large chunks (no offense, Katie!). Blame that on my non-scientific mind. I really appreciate her willingness to say she doesn’t have answers for everything. She simply goes with what she learns and then does what is best for her family- and is willing to change that too as her family’s needs change.

I used to be vegatarian and I felt the healthiest when I was one. I feel this article is inaccurate saying beans are not as quality of protein as meat. My mom has been a vegan for 45 years and she is healthy as can be!

Ugh why are all the vegetarians getting so offended by this? No one is saying that being a vegetarian means you’re unhealthy, and the only reason plant based protein is referred to as “lower quality” is because animal based is the only complete protein. Of course you can get all the essentials from combining plant based proteins, but that doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with someone giving advice to others who choose to eat meat.

The issue may not be that people are “offended”, but there is so very much misinformation about food combining -which has been established as unnecessary- and protein in general, that it is frustrating to see it perpetuated.
I certainly will not use this forum to advocate a vegan lifestyle, but I do prefer that facts be present when one is talking nutrition 

Wow I never thought of keeping frosting containers, great idea! I would just be sure to let the stock fully cool first, as most plastics contain chemicals that can seep into our food when heated. Thanks again for the tip!

You can freeze it…I do it in 4 cup containers, but others do just ice cube trays or smaller containers depending on how you use stock. You can also can it…I do that all the time as well when I make huge batches of stock. You MUST pressure can it. It cans at 11 pounds of pressure for 25 minutes for quarts. Please do not water bath can stock as it is not safe. Your canner manual or many websites will give you great information on times and such for canning.

Personally I’ve come to love it canned because I can grab and go with no thaw time, but it always depends on the amount I made and how much room is in the freezer vs. how many jars I have available as well!

Mary,
The question has been nicely answered by others, but at my house (b/c I don’t have a pressure canner) I do freeze it, in various sizes. You can see the post referenced here http://bit.ly/9UNJsn for some of the ways I do it: in glass jars (spaghetti sauce jars hold 3 c. and are free), cottage cheese and sour cream containers (plastic no. 5, no BPA, but I still let it cool fully first) and ice cube trays for when I just need a little bit more or for when kiddos are sick. Muffins tins are another great way to do it, then dump muffin cubes into plastic bags – easy thaw.

Stock will last in the fridge for a week or so and I just used some from last May, so I’m not very good about what is probably the recommended freezing time of 2-6 months, I would guess. 😉 It tasted fine!

Hope you love making and using homemade stock – it’s soooooo good for you! Katie

Eating a vegan diet is one of the healthy ways I can keep my food budget down. I often find great coupons on soymilk,tofu,rice,pasta and soy products and buy my vegetables at the farmer’s market or on sale at my local grocery store (I also have an herb garden and grow tomatoes,peppers and summer squashes). The idea of having to carefully combined foods to get complete proteins is an old myth. I’ve been vegan for over twenty years and my almost fifteen year old daughter has been vegan her whole life. We’re both very healthy and my daughter is 5’10 and growing every day. Studies show vegan children tend to be taller and have higher IQ’s. I honestly don’t “plan” out our diet I just cook healthfully.

I am a RN. Of course, it was 10 years ago when I went to school . But I remember specifically being taught in my nutrition class to combine peanut butter with whole wheat to make a complete protein. Unless that has changed in 10 years ……… I am not concerned though we are meat eaters. It would be nice to cut some meats from our diet.

As for growing taller because a person eats totally vegan? I have honestly never heard of that. Kristin, has that been studied? I looked it up online and most of the answers I received were only testimonies. That’s something I am curious about.

The idea came into promenence after the release of Francis Moore Lappe’s first edition Diet for a Small Planet. In subsequent research as well as in her later editions of the books, the idea of protein combining is identified as being unnecessary. The idea behind it is this: proteins have amino acids. Instead of needing all amino acids present in a meal to qualify as protein (which is what food combining is all about) as long as one eats a varied diet, there will be no issue getting all the nutrients we require. As a newly minted vegan (well, three years, I guess not that new anymore 😉 ) I can tell you I have never felt better, and I do not “plan” my meals to any special degree, and it is working just fine

Mary,
Thank you for commenting in support of my best intentions and research. At least if things have changed in 10 years, I’m in good company in having learned it “wrong.” I’ve quickly found out in the 2 years I’ve been blogging that if you want to find “the truth” about some aspect of food and nutrition, you can pretty much find some source that will say whatever you want it to say…and another that will cite just the opposite.

That’s true. People have very strong opinions about nutrition, and you can find sources (especially online) to support whatever point of view you hold. I cook vegetarian at home, and we eat meat only occasionally when we get invited to someone else’s house or something. That works for us, and we all have to do what’s best for our families because not everyone’s nutritional needs are the same. I appreciate your follow-up posts here.

I would recommend anyone who is curious about how plant protein vs animal protein is actually processed read ‘The China Study’ by T. Colin Campbell. It’s written by a PhD who has received several grants from the National Science Foundation, and it’s incredibly well-researched and well-presented. Some of what is said in this article may be *technically* true, but very misrepresented.

As a fellow vegan, it’s frustrating when someone implies that giving up meat means sacrificing nutrition, when we know that’s not the case. I would never push or pressure a person to become vegan or vegetarian, because that is their personal choice. And I’m glad Money Saving Mom (who I love) is providing commentary on how to save $ on meat budgets – that’s great! I just think the vegetarians/vegans of us out there might appreciate money-saving advice with a little less of a slant against us.

Thank you to you and the rest of the vegans/vegetarians for pointing out that this guest post stepped on your toes. I sincerely did not think of that when I accepted it and I’m absolutely sure Katie did not mean any ill towards you all in writing it — and I’m truly sorry if it was offensive. I’m not a vegan and so I appreciate you helping me to see things from your point of view and how it could be taken. In the future, I’ll seek to do a better job of keeping this in mind when I post or approve guest post.

Thanks Crystal! You are a good and honest broker of information, and I appreciate when you make a mea-culpa statement like this. I know no offense was intended at all. I appreciate the vegans stepping up and helping share even more information. Great job everyone!

Crystal, I think you do an excellent job at conveying information about everything from couponing and sales, to how different people live and serve food to their families. Although I am not a vegan so I personally was not offended, I truly don’t think that this blogger meant any harm – in fact, the opposite. I checked out her website and she seems to be pretty informed nutritionally speaking; I think she was just trying to help us trim our budgets just a little, from what she knows and how her family eats. The topic of nutrition is extremely wide and any given book/researcher/nutritionist/doctor can have an opinion about something – for instance, pasteurized milk vs raw. I am guessing that many potential interesting and helpful guest posts are never going to “make it to press” in the chance it might offend someone. Please Crystal, keep up the good work – I think with this large of an audience, you will always have feedback you don’t anticipate, but it doesn’t mean that many people don’t benefit all the same. Thanks.

Brynn,
Thanks for the positive comment…personally, I needed one of these in this long list of offended vegans (which never, ever crossed my mind while writing this simple “quick tips” style of post). We real people are flawed in a fallen world and can only do our best with what we’ve been given.

Can I unstep on anyone’s toes here? Doing my best to sweep up after my little mess for you, Crystal. Sorry about the unintended controversy on your blog!

My mom just recently made sloppy joes with lentils. And a tomato/Italian sausage/tortellini/veggie soup in which the lentils were more prominent. (I prefer them being hidden in a dish ) I can’t tell a difference in the taste, but know its providing my body with good protein, fiber, and vitamins and minerals!

And on another note, soup has been so cost effective and healthy for my family. A favorite of ours is alfredo, green bean, cabbage, and smoked sausage soup. I think my mom uses a whole head of cabbage cut up, 2 bags of green beans (2 lb?), a jar of alfredo sauce (Walmart’s is good-only 1.33, and has real cream). And some spices, of course, including a bright red-orange one that adds some zip This ends up making about a gallon (or more) of soup for:
cabbage-1.39
meat-3.00
gr. beans-2.00
alfredo sauce-1.33

So for about $8, my mom and I have lunches for a week. That’s between $0.50 and $1 per serving, we get some good veggies, fiber, and protein. Also, it just tastes really good! I don’t like cabbage raw, but in this soup, it’s great! Even better, is that this soup has helped her to lose about 35 pounds. I don’t know if there’s anything better than homemade vegetable soups for health/weight loss. It’s a satisfying meal, but still healthy, and not too hard on the wallet.

Flexitarian here. I make vegetarian meals at home, with the exception of a Thanksgiving turkey, and a new year and Easter ham. I do occasionally cook with bacon. Everything else, though, is veggie with some emphasis on vegan. Chose this diet to avoid surgical removal of my non-functioning gall bladder and my G.I. issues have improved a good 80% as a result. Thank you, veggies. 😉

As a former cardiac RN, the comments about beans being used as easily as animal proteins, and then the 2% comment as well, was read by me as misleading. So I do understand why the veg/vegans were unaccepting of that.

We eat lentil tacos regularly here. Our four children LOVE them, along with so many other veggie dishes. But they didn’t always (love them). It took time, encouragement, and okay, a few bribes too, lol. But today, my kids will eat ANYTHING. They love artichokes, beans of all kinds, stuffed cabbages, bbq bean pizza, spinach pizza, salads, veggie lasagna, mexican dishes with lots of beans and rice, etc. But I did have to keep exposing them to the same dishes again and again before their taste for them followed.

$$$$ SAVE MONEY in alot of ways (sorry now I didnt have time to read all replies to see if this is said).
If meat is costing your budget to go into crisis there are more than beans to save you $$$.
1. DO at least 1 no meat night a week
2. DO a soup night 1 night a week
3. ** BUY CLEARANCE** most groceries (not SUPER stores) will have a meat bin full of things that say ‘use or freeze by tomorrows date’. I have been saving probably 100 a month or more. I buy steaks, stew meat, pork, chicken, sandwhich meat, and my favorite fish and shrimp for cheap. I rarely ever pay full price anymore. I buy alot at once and plan next 1-2 weeks based on what I got. I also read the exp date of meat when there so I know when to go back to get it cheaper. I have 3lbs of boneless pork ribs I got for $1.69 a pound I can not wait to grill tomorrow.!!!

Emily,
As I’ve mentioned above, you truly can find sources, quality sources at that, which say just about anything about nutrition. When one says X, the other says the opposite of X. People are living healthy lifestyles on such a wide variety of diets. The intent of the post was to give practical information with the factoid background being simply conversational asides. –Katie

I really liked this article, putting aside the issue of vegetarians vs. meat-eaters.

I was going to mention the same thing that Ginger just did … you can save a lot on meat by buy “soon to expire” meats. My local grocery stores mark down meats when they are a day or two from their expiration date. By shopping late in the day, I can often find manager markdowns, and I save a lot on meat that way.

We like homemade soup, and it’s so much healthier than canned. Near the end of the cooking time, I like to add some pasta or potatoes. It makes the soup base go a lot further.

For days when I don’t have time to make stock, I like to just blend up some veggies. I use whatever I have one hand that can normally be eaten raw like carrots, celery, tomatoes, peppers, etc. Not foods like potatoes, which would need to be cooked, although it I have some leftover pre-cooked potatoes I might throw them in. I add some seasonings, and a little bit of pre-cooked meat (just a couple of ounces), t althought the meat is optional. Blend it up in the blender until it is the consistency that I want and then just heat it up on the stove. For chunkier soup, after blending most of the ingredients, I’ll add bigger chunks of veggies and/or meat and just pulse it a bit in the blender.

I have a Vita Mix blender that I got at Costco a number of years ago. It was expensive but worth every penny. It works great! We use it all the time for quick smoothies, soups, and other things.

Don’t appreciate the seemlying unproven claims of how combining a little bit of meat and beans helps you assilimate the protiens better. I am open to the idea but you can’t state nutrition science ‘facts’ like that without citing them. Please cite the study or book you got the information from so the rest of us can benefit from it as well! And if it is your own conclusions… please don’t state as fact! (Especially since there are already so many conflicting, and often down-right false statements in the diet and nutrition world.)

Great ideas in this post! I do all of these and feel like we have more well-rounded meals as a result. We have a healthy mix of meats, whole grains, and fruits/veggies. The real question boils down to this: is there a way to make beans the not-so-musical fruit??

According to Linda Watson at cookforgood.com you can make beans a little less musical. She says to start with dry beans. Soak them overnight and then throw out the water and rinse the beans before cooking them. I’ve also noticed that lentils and split peas don’t have much of an affect on me compared to other beans.

I’ve heard that you can add baking soda to dry beans while they’re soaking to make them not so “musical.” I usually forget to do this so I can’t give first hand testimony as to whether it works but the internet says it does. Just Google “baking soda and beans” and you’ll get info on how to do it.

I’ve read that baking soda doesn’t actually make much of a difference, but soaking beans overnight and then discarding the water and rinsing before cooking does. Also, if you eat beans regularly, your body will get used to them, and they won’t be as “musical” as when you eat them only infrequently.

Sarah,
Great answers here, but allow me to address some:
*Don’t add baking soda until the end of the cooking time if you’re going to try that, as a salt in the soak or early cook water often results in crunchy beans – not so nice to eat.
*Lentils still get me sometimes, so I don’t know that they’re the magical non-musical fruit! 😉
*Kristine hit the nail on the head. Without going into too much detail, beans cause gas because of what they’re taking out of your system (built up “yuck”), not what they put in. So the more you eat beans, the less build up you have, and the better you smell. 😉 (Source: http://www.karenhurd.com/concern_why_beans.html)
Great questions! Katie

I consulted my copy of Nourishing Traditions for everyone requesting the citation for this statement in Katie’s post, “Although the protein in beans is not used as easily in the body as animal proteins, as little as 2% meat in a meal helps the body assimilate the vegetable protein in the beans completely.” Here you go…

… “In one of these studies conducted in Latin America, rats were given mixtures of corn and beans in various proportions, the two foods that form the basis of the diet of a large part of the population. In whatever proportions these foods were given, the growth of the rats was insufficient, even if theoretically the amount of protein was adequate. In contrast, it was sufficient to add just 2% of fish to the bean-corn mixture to considerably raise the growth rate of the animals (from 70% to 120% greater, according to the proportions of the two main ingredients).

The small supplement of fish cannot in itself explain these spectacular results. Undoubtedly the added animal protein has a synergistic effect on the assimilation of the vegetable protein. The amount of fish given to the rats was the equivalent of 30 grams for a man – just one sardine! – as the only animal protein for the whole day. “…
– Claude Aubert, Dis-Moi Comment Tu Cuisines

This information is found in a sidebar on pages 504 and 505 of Nourishing Traditions.

As a scientist myself, I agree that results in animal studies cannot be assumed to be identical in humans. The sidebar was long, so I didn’t type out everything. The point of the autor’s entire quote is that just a little animal protein goes a long way in improving assimilation of vegetable protein, and that “tradition and science confirm each other in this, for once”. He lists several traditional foods/meals in different cultures where the animal products were eaten in very small quanties in the overall dish. For example, French pot au feu (beef bouillon with bread), Italian pasta with Parmesan cheese, Spanish paella, Moroccan couscous, Indian thali, and Japanese fish with rice. He also noted that in the study, “The combination of corn and fish (without beans) never gave as good results, watever the amount of fish, as the trilogy of beans, corn and fish.” So obviously beans are a superior source of nutrition, that might be boosted even further with just a little animal protein included.

Oh, thank you, Jen! You just made my day. I’m not always a fan of the Weston Price Foundation, but they gave me a leg up on a food philosophy that seem reasonable to me, so I’m grateful for that.

As for rats and humans and how food works…let’s have some human volunteers to do some studies! 😉 I think it’s pretty common that rats are used as test subjects, so I’m not going to get worked up about that one.

This is really good information for saving on and stretching the valuable, nutrient dense meats in our diets. Thanks Katie!

I searched my copy of Nourishing Traditions for the citation everyone is requesting regarding this statement. “Although the protein in beans is not used as easily in the body as animal proteins, as little as 2% meat in a meal helps the body assimilate the vegetable protein in the beans completely.” Here you go…

…”In one of these studies conducted in Latin America, rats were given mixtures of corn and beans in various proportions, the two foods that form the basis of the diet of a large part of the population. In whatever proportions these foods were given, the growth of the rats was insufficient, even if theoretically the amount of protein was adequate. In contrast, it was sufficient to add just 2% of fish to the bean-corn mixture to considerably raise the growth rate of the animals (from 70% to 120% greater, according to the proportions of the two main ingredients).

The small supplement of fish cannot in itself explain these spectacular results. Undoubtedly the added animal protein has a synergistic effect on the assimilation of the vegetable protein. The amount of fish given to the rats was the equivalent of 30 grams for a man – just one sardine! – as the only animal protein for the whole day.” … Claude Aubert, Dis-Moi Comment Tu Cuisines

This information can be found in a sidebar on pages 504 and 505 of Nourishing Traditions.

This is really good information for saving on and stretching the
valuable, nutrient dense meats in our diets. Thanks Katie!

I searched my copy of Nourishing Traditions for the citation everyone
is requesting regarding this statement. “Although the protein in
beans is not used as easily in the body as animal proteins, as little
as 2% meat in a meal helps the body assimilate the vegetable protein
in the beans completely.” Here you go…

…”In one of these studies conducted in Latin America, rats were
given mixtures of corn and beans in various proportions, the two foods
that form the basis of the diet of a large part of the population. In
whatever proportions these foods were given, the growth of the rats
was insufficient, even if theoretically the amount of protein was
adequate. In contrast, it was sufficient to add just 2% of fish to the
bean-corn mixture to considerably raise the growth rate of the animals
(from 70% to 120% greater, according to the proportions of the two
main ingredients).

The small supplement of fish cannot in itself explain these
spectacular results. Undoubtedly the added animal protein has a
synergistic effect on the assimilation of the vegetable protein. The
amount of fish given to the rats was the equivalent of 30 grams for a
man – just one sardine! – as the only animal protein for the whole
day.” …

Claude Aubert, Dis-Moi Comment Tu Cuisines

This information can be found in a sidebar on pages 504 and 505 of
Nourishing Traditions.

I understand you mean well and are actively seeking health but I would have to disagree. Three of my children have been vegetarian from conception and only in the past year have we added fish. My husband and I are only about 5’5″, ate meat as kids. However our kids are tall for their age. Our 16 year old is nearly 6′. I realize this is genetic but I am trying to say that being vegetarian did not stunt their growth.

How large was this study? Who funded the study? Have their been other studies that have backed up this finding? How many? The China Study has been the biggest study on nutrition ever done and it contradicts this study on rats. This study spanned many years (20+?, 40+?) and involved thousands if not millions of people and their food intakes.-including protien intake and its effect on health in humans.

Hi Heather. All I did here was cite the source for Katie’s post since I have the book, and she didn’t have access to her copy at the time. This is a direct quote from a book, and I shared none of my personal opinions in my comment. I guess you’re saying you disagree with the quote of Claude Aubert, and the scientific study he is talking about. That’s ok!

As a scientist myself, I agree that it would be nice to have more details on this study. Unfortunately, there was no further information on this study in Nourishing Traditions, and I personally don’t care to dig around and try to find it. If others really want to know more details, they may want to try to find the original study. My family and I do very well eating quality, pastured meat and poultry from small, local farms (not feedlot meat), so I don’t intend to change that. Everyone is different, and I’m happy you’ve found a healthy diet that works for your family as well.

As far as the China Study, you might want to google “Denise Minger and The China Study” to see a totally unbiased review of the actual data used to write the book. It’s an eye opener for sure!

I am sorry though I was sounding off at you, I think I meant it for anybody using this book as a nutrition Bible. Questioning what we read can bring more knowledge to our choices. So as we don’t follow blindly. And with that said, I certainly will google the info you spoke of about the China Study.

On a more personal note, I think your choice of meat from a local farmer is an excellent choice. We receive eggs from a local farmer as well. Gosh, it tastes better to boot.

No worries! I agree everyone should do their own research, especially about something as important as nutrition for our families. I certainly do. I also look at different viewpoints, and question everything… similar to the questions you asked about the rat study.

And WOW, I definitely agree that nothing tastes better than farm fresh food! I love my local farmers, and I am so thankful to have that option outside of the regular grocery store.

I’ve found the “Cook for Good” ebook by Linda Watson very helpful. It was $9.95, and she has some free recipes on her website, also (www.cookforgood.com). It’s vegetarian, not vegan, but you could leave out the cheese or use almond milk instead of cow’s milk or whatever in some of the recipes. I use it all the time as a basic guide for planning my weekly menus (with modifications as needed for my family’s tastes), and it’s helped me save a lot of money on groceries. I cook most things from scratch and do most of my shopping at Aldi.

Lorna Sass has wonderful books too. She has both vegetarian and meat based and whole grain. She specializes in pressure cookers as well ( a no-no for Fallon followers, but other nutritionists think they have a place in the kitchen).

* Mark Bittman’s “How to Cook Everything Vegetarian” is a good starting point with some easy recipes.

* Tal Ronnen’s “The Conscious Cook” is a great cookbook, but the recipes (and at times, the ingredients) can be very complicated – but they are truly delish!

* Alicia Silverstone released “The Kind Diet” and while some of it is very Hollywood, there are some pretty good recipes in there – and the informational portion of the book is enlightening reading for newbies.

* I also like the “Clean Food” cookbooks and think they are an excellent source of easy recipes using good, whole foods.

* Finally, check out the newer book by Dr. Neal Barnard of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine called “The Get Healthy, Go Vegan Cookbook.” He also just released a few months ago a weightloss book – “21-Day Weightloss Kickstart” about going/starting vegan in 21-days. Every few months, the PCRM has a 21-day vegan kickstart. You can learn about it on their website at http://www.pcrm.org

I didn’t read all the comments here (who can :-)?) but I would like to add my 2 cents….

Katie was trying to make a statement about how to balance out the traditional American diet that tends to be too high in meats. One way to do that is to add beans to the meal. I think that she is right on with the emphasis on “all things in moderation.” That goes for most people.

Some of us, for one reason or another, need to not have any sugar, or any gluten. Others, like myself, think that artificial colors are a complete and total “no go.” However, overall, the moderation principle is a good thing.

One additional piece of information that might be helpful for some. The vegetarian (and moreso, the vegan) diet can be detrimental to people suffering from copper toxicity. In my limited experience, I think that this is more far-reaching than most people know. Here is a link to more information: http://www.drlwilson.com/articles/copper_toxicity_syndrome.htm
I was almost a strict vegetarian until I became quite ill and found out about this.